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"But this does not mean that we will not fight back in the event of aggression towards our military. We will do everything to defend the territory of our state," the website quoted him as adding.

Mr Poroshenko, who has said the declaration of a ceasefire will allow him to formally to launch a peace plan for the region, spoke after receiving a report from an army commander that the border with Russia was defended.

Ukraine has said that the separatist unrest has been fomented by the government in Moscow and that separatist rebels have been supported and armed by volunteer fighters from Russia, though this is denied by the Kremlin.